Giobbe 39:28 Commento

God proceeds here to show Job what little reason he had to charge him with unkindness who was so compassionate to the inferior creatures and took such a tender care of them, or to boast of himself, and his own good deeds before God, which were nothing to the divine mercies. He shows him also what great reason he had to be humble who knew so little of the nature of the creatures about him and had so little influence upon them, and to submit to that God on whom they all depend. He discourses particularly, I. Concerning the wild goats and hinds (Job 39:1-4). II. Concerning the wild ass (Job 39:5-8). III. Concerning the unicorn (Job 39:9-12). IV. Concerning the horse (Job 39:19-25). VII. Concerning the hawk and the eagle (Job 39:26-30).

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 39 This chapter treats of various creatures, beasts and birds, which Job had little knowledge of, had no concern in the making of them, and scarcely any power over them; as of the goats and hinds, Job 39:1; of the wild ass, Job 39:5; of the unicorn, Job 39:9; of the peacock and ostrich, Job 39:13; of the horse, Job 39:19; and of the hawk and eagle, Job 39:26.

She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. Where she and her young are safe: so Pliny (r) says, eagles make their nests in rocks, even in the precipices of them, as the philosopher quoted in the preceding verse; and here on the tooth, edge, or precipice of the rock, which is inaccessible, and so like a strong fortified place. (r) Nat. Hist. l. 10. 3.

She abideth in the rocks. And she dwelleth in the abrupt flints, and in the inaccessible rocks. 97. In Holy Scripture, when a 'rock' is mentioned in the singular number, who else is understood but Christ? As Paul witnesses, who says, But the rock was Christ. [1 Cor. 10, 4] But when 'rocks' are spoken of, in the plural number, His members are described, namely, holy men, who are confirmed by His strength. Whom the Apostle Peter doubtless calls stones, saying, Ye as lively stones are built together as spiritual houses. [1 Pet. 2, 5] This eagle, therefore, which raised the eyes of her heart to the rays of the true sun, is said to abide in the rocks, because she is planted, in the firmness of her mind, in the sayings of the ancient and mighty fathers. For she recals to memory the life of those, whom she sees to have gone before in the way of God; and by studying in the loftiness of their strength, she builds herself a nest of holy meditation. And when she thinks silently on their deeds and words, when she considers the glory of the present life, how mean it is in comparison with eternal excellence, she sits, as it were, on the rocks, and beholds the lower places of the earth to be beneath her. 98. Rocks can also be understood to be the lofty powers of heavenly virtues, which the wind of our mutability now bends not hither and thither, like trees. Because being like rocks, placed on high, they are exempt from every motion of mutability, and fastened to the solidity of their height, they have become firm, by the very eternity to which they adhere. When a holy man, therefore, despises the things of earth, he raises himself, like an eagle, to higher things; and, elevated by the spirit of contemplation, waits for the eternal glory of Angels, and, being a stranger in this world, by seeking after the things he beholds, is already fixed on things above. It is therefore rightly said, She abideth in the rocks; that is, by intention of heart she dwells among those heavenly virtues, which are already, even by the strength of their eternity, fixed with such great solidity, as not to be bent on any side to sin by the variableness of change. Whence also it fitly follows; And she dwelleth in the abrupt flints, and in the inaccessible rocks. 99. For who else are those abrupt flints, but those firmest choirs of Angels, who, though not in their integrity, yet remained firmly fixed in their own estate, when the devil fell with his angels? For they are abrupt, because part of them fell, part remained firm. Who stand indeed entire, as to the quality of their deserts, but broken off, as to the quantity of their number. This breaking off the Mediator came to restore, that, having redeemed the human race, He might repair these losses of the angels, and might perhaps heap up more richly the measure of the heavenly country. By reason of this breaking off it is said of the Father: He purposed in Him, in the dispensation of the fulness of times, to restore all things in Christ, which are in heaven, and which are on earth, in Him. [Eph. 1, 9. 10.] For in Him are restored those things, which are on earth, when sinners are converted to righteousness. In Him are restored those which are in heaven, when humbled men return to that place from which apostate angels fell by pride. But in that He says, In inaccessible rocks, those doubtless, who are abrupt flints, are themselves inaccessible rocks. For the brightness of Angels is very inaccessible to the heart of sinful men, because the more it has fallen down to bodily attractions, the more it has closed its eyes to spiritual beauty. But, whoever is so rapt by contemplation, as, being raised up by Divine grace, already to engage his thought on the choirs of Angels, and, fixed on things above, to keep himself aloof from every grovelling deed, is not contented with beholding the glory of angelic brightness, unless he is able to behold Him also, Who is above Angels. For the vision of Him is alone the true refreshment of our mind.

So he says, "he dwells in the rocks," as though enjoying the purity of the air, because in rocky places there is not a lot of evaporation, "and he dwells in steep crags," those to which access is not open to predators, "and in cliffs which are inaccessible," to man, where his security is provided for.

Several animals described: the wild goats and hinds, Job 39:1-4. The wild ass, Job 39:5-8. The unicorn, Job 39:9-12. The peacock and ostrich, Job 39:13-18. The war-horse, Job 39:19-25. The hawk, Job 39:26. And the eagle and her brood, Job 39:27-30.

Upon the crag of the rock - שן סלע shen sela, the tooth of the rock, i.e., some projecting part, whither adventurous man himself dares not follow her. And the strong place - ומצודה umetsudah. Mr. Good translates this word ravine, and joins it to Job 39:29, thus: "And thence espieth the ravine: her eyes trace the prey afar off."

(Job 39:1-30) Even wild beasts, cut off from all care of man, are cared for by God at their seasons of greatest need. Their instinct comes direct from God and guides them to help themselves in parturition; the very time when the herdsman is most anxious for his herds. wild goats--ibex (Psa 104:18; Sa1 24:2). hinds--fawns; most timid and defenseless animals, yet cared for by God.

abideth--securely (Psa 91:1); it occupies the same abode mostly for life. crag--literally, "tooth" (Sa1 14:5, Margin). strong place--citadel, fastness.